


A Light in the Dark

by fob_lvr8



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Eventual Smut, Fluff, M/M, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-23
Updated: 2016-01-23
Packaged: 2018-05-15 16:08:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5792017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fob_lvr8/pseuds/fob_lvr8
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events of Blood of Olympus, Nico di Angelo is plagued by terrible nightmares. Thankfully, Will Solace, whom Nico has had a crush on for a while, is there to comfort him. In doing so, their relationship develops slowly, but surely.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Light in the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> A few disclaimers: 1)I don't really have a whole lot of experience with writing fanfiction. This is only my fifth piece I have ever done, and it is by far the longest. It is also the first time I have ever done smut. I hope that doesn't show too much. 2)Although this piece is mostly fluff, it does contain a small bit of smut toward the end, though I tried to keep it as tasteful as possible. Also, 3) as a straight, cisgender female, I don't have really any personal experience with the sexual encounters of homosexual dudes, but I did my best with it. 4)Fair warning that this is fairly long, but I hope you will agree that it's worth it in the end. So, please feel free to comment and enjoy! :)
> 
> Also, my younger brother (aka StraightAsARainbow) helped with some editing, so honorable mention to him.

The dreams that night were particularly bad. Nico was walking alone through Tartarus again, monsters leering at him through the gloomy darkness. The fiery River Phlegethon burned its winding course somewhere off to his right. Directly in front of him stood an army of monsters so huge, evil, and terrifying they made Kronos’ army in the Titan war look like a litter of cuddly puppies. Hundreds of empousai with their weird mismatched legs, fiery hair, and blood dripping off their wicked sharp fangs; hell hounds twice the size of Mrs. O’Leary with glowing red eyes; dracaenae snake women with their spears pointed directly at Nico’s chest; eight-foot tall Laistrygonian giants with bulging tattooed arms, and yellow pointed teeth bared menacingly; and countless other, scarier things Nico didn’t even have names for, bared down upon him. Innumerable hands that were definitely not human grabbed at him, clamping over his mouth and eyes, and clawing painfully at the rest of his body. Nico tried to shake them off and run away, but his limbs felt like lead. He tried to scream, but he couldn’t get any sound to come out. Somewhere in his mind he knew he was just dreaming it, but the images were so real he couldn’t shake himself out of it and wake up. He laid there for a while, shaking terribly, stuck in his nightmare. Though he was dreaming, he knew somewhere in his mind that on the outside he was probably making enough noise to wake up the whole camp. It had happened that way the last couple of nights. Nico would wake up in the middle of the night with a scream in his throat and cold sweat covering his body. Wake up, he urged himself. It’s just a dream. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Nico awoke, gasping for breath and shuddering so bad he couldn’t see straight. He laid there for a minute, trying to control his breathing and the cold sweat, but he had a hard time getting comfortable again. No matter how many blankets covered him, his bed just seemed too cold.  


Suddenly, Nico noticed a soft but persistent tapping at the window. It first made him jump, but then he collected his senses and sighed, resigning himself to checking it out. As he went, he slipped on his aviator jacket that always brought him comfort. He thought he might already know what— or, rather who— was making the tapping sound, but he tried not to get his hopes up. It was probably just something stupid like a tree branch or the wind making the noise. No sense in hoping, just to suffer disappointment.  


Nico made his way slowly over to the window. He looked out and sure enough, there, standing right outside the window, was a person. A cute, curly blond-haired, blue-eyed, very tan person. He wore a bright orange T-shirt and jeans, his leather camp necklace with the little clay beads on it just visible at the neck of his shirt. A gold-banded watch glinted at his wrist in the moonlight. Nico threw open the window and, rolling his eyes slightly, he whispered, “Hey Will. What are you doing? It’s the middle of the night, don’t you ever sleep?”  


Will Solace, from the Apollo cabin, grinned at him a little sheepishly and batted his eyes a bit. “I, well, I heard you, and I came to see what was wrong, of course” he whispered back, looking up at Nico with a sort of boyish charm that made Nico’s heart flutter.  


Nico supposed he should be used to this by now. This wasn’t the first time Will had shown up at his cabin in the middle of the night. In fact, it had happened quite a few times now, ever since they had first kissed. Well, if that had really happened of course. Nico remembered it well. They had been playing capture the flag with the rest of the camp, with Nico and Will on opposite teams. Nico had been hiding in the shadow of an elm at the edge of the forest, a good way away from most of the action. He was on guard duty for his team's flag, one of the few members playing defense. He stood in the tree's shadow for a while, ready to unexpectedly ambush any member of the other team trying to get the flag, when a noise like a twig snapping right behind him made him turn. Will had been leaning casually against another tree, just a few feet from him, looking much like he had tonight: a look of excitement in his ice blue eyes, a boyish grin on his handsome features, and his curly, golden blond hair almost glowing in the soft light.  


Before Nico could think to do or say anything, Will had said brightly, “Hey babe. Don't I get a kiss for luck?”  


“Wh-what?” Nico had stammered, his eyes widening in surprise.  


Nico had already been crushing on Will for a while at that point, and he'd had reason to believe before that Will liked him back, but this was the first time either of them had said anything outside the realm of friendly conversation. Before he knew what was happening, Will had been right in front of him putting two warm fingers lightly under Nico's chin and planting one on him. A second later Will had let go and was already past him grabbing the flag and sprinting off with it. It had happened so fast Nico still had trouble deciding whether it had actually been real or not. In the days afterward, Will had acted just as calm and happy as he always did, smiling at Nico in a friendly way when he passed, and making Nico seriously consider that maybe he had just dreamed it after all. Still, the memory (assuming of course that it was an actual memory) of Will's lips on his made him tremble with pleasure. Ever since that night, Nico had been secretly aching to know what it would feel like to really kiss Will. Not just a quick did-that-really-happen peck, but a real kiss. One that made Nico's knees turn to jelly and spurred his heart into a sprint.  


Mostly, it was nights like these that tempted him most. Will’s first visit had been fairly shortly after the kiss in the woods. It began about the same way it always did. Nico had been having one of his worst nightmares to date. He had woken up chilled to the bone and shaking uncontrollably, and just when it seemed hopeless that he’d be able to shake himself out of it and get to sleep again, he heard a tapping at his window. Originally, he had been scared of it. Nico knew that it was unlikely a monster could have gotten in the camp, given the magically sealed borders, but his dream had left him jumpy and unsure. He was a child of Hades after all, and if anyone could accidentally summon a monster within the borders of the camp, it was likely him. His curiosity got the best of him in the end though, and so reluctantly, he investigated the source of the tapping. As it turned out, it was Will standing there, blond and beautiful, smiling innocently and asking if he could come in. Nico had originally tried to shoo him away, not wanting to share his feelings with anyone, especially Will, but Will was nothing if not persistent. By now, Nico had come to just accept Will’s being there to comfort him. He still wasn't entirely sure what to make of Will’s visits, though. It almost seemed like Will was able to sense whenever Nico was feeling particularly distressed. He might have found that eerie if he didn't like Will so much. Then again, Will often worked late at the infirmary, and he had to pass by Nico's cabin to get to his own. It was entirely possible that Will really was able to hear Nico having a nightmare from outside and decide to come check on him. At least, that's what Nico tried to convince himself of. Whatever the case, Nico had to (grudgingly) admit that he was starting to appreciate having someone there for him when the dreams got particularly nasty.  


Nico shook himself out of his reveries and whispered to Will, “You heard me?” his pale face reddening.  


He supposed it shouldn’t be a big deal anymore, seeing as Will had come upon Nico immediately post-nightmare so many times now, but it still embarrassed him nonetheless.  


“Well yes, you were screaming and thrashing around, and I was… um, in the neighborhood, and I figured you might need some company. Could I come in?” he asked, the grin still lighting up his face.  


Nico tried to be angry with him, but when the boy smiled at him like that, with those perfect white teeth gleaming in the moonlight, and those piercing, beautiful eyes that Nico secretly loved, he couldn’t help but be ok with it. He still had not yet worked up the nerve to actually kiss Will on his own, despite his aching—and opportunity—to. Most nights when Will dropped by, he ended up just comforting Nico until he fell asleep again. They would hold hands sometimes, or Nico would lay his head in Will's lap while he stroked his hair, but that was always the height of it. It had taken Nico a while to even be ok with that much. Will would always leave when he thought Nico was asleep, always whispering "You're safe now, sleep tight" in his ear. Nico was almost never actually asleep when that happened, and he found Will's parting sentiment both endearing and disappointing. He loved hearing him say it, but it was always disappointing that that was the last of their meeting. He sometimes thought about asking Will to stay, but he always refrained for fear of the rest of the camp finding out, and because he wasn’t sure he actually had the nerve to do it. Not only was it technically against the rules, but he also knew no one would let him hear the end of it, especially Percy. Although these nights had not yet yielded anything particularly exciting in the romance department so far, there were a few instances that stuck in Nico’s mind. Once, recently, Will had leaned down and kissed Nico softly on the forehead, just before leaving. Another time he touched his lips to Nico's cheek. Wherever Will's lips touched his skin, Nico could always feel it tingle for a while afterward, making him desperately wish Will was still there. Now, looking at Will outside his window, he hoped that tonight might be different, though he didn’t really expect it to be.  


“All right Solace, I’ll let you in,” Nico said rolling his eyes. “But come in through the door will ya? I’m not sure the window could handle it if you tried to climb through again.” Will was fast approaching six feet tall, with rippled muscles that Nico could see even through his shirt. He tried not to focus on that.  


Will grinned at him again and nodded in agreement.  


Nico carefully shut the window, making as little sound as possible so as not to alert anyone to the fact that both boys were up past curfew, and sidled over to the door to let Will in, closing it behind him with a soft snap.  


Nico sat down on the edge of the bed and Will followed him.  


“I’m sorry to disturb you,” Will told him, “But I couldn’t just leave you like that. You seemed so upset.”  


Nico’s throat constricted. “It’s fine Solace. I was just dreaming. And it’s not like that’s ever stopped you before,” he said. He tried to keep his tone nonchalant. He was afraid that if Will found out just how bad his nightmares really were, it would scare him away. Try as he might to deny it, he did really like Will. He was tall and handsome, and in excellent shape, but it was more than that. Nico could tell that Will acted out of care. He knew that Will hadn’t shown up at his cabin tonight, or any other night for that matter, for any reason other than that he was actually worried about him. It was hard to resist that kind of attention and care. Nico’s face must have shown a bit of his emotions because at that moment, Will gently and hesitantly reached out and touched Nico’s cheek.  


Normally, with anyone else, a gesture like that would have made Nico flinch, and then turn away and get angry. He would snap something about hating physical touch and storm off. But here, with Will, everything seemed different. Even the first night Will had come, Nico had had trouble not opening up to him. His touch seemed to simply melt away all of Nico’s terror and sadness, leaving him feeling warmer and lighter from the inside out, and allowing him to fall back asleep easily after he left, even if he was disappointed to see him go. He supposed he shouldn’t be completely surprised by this. Will seemed to have that effect on people; he could diffuse other people’s anger or negative emotions just by a simple touch or look at them. Nico couldn’t decide if he hated or loved that about him. There did seem be just one little catch to opening up to Will, though; Nico was fast becoming addicted to having him there to comfort and calm him. He missed the feeling of Will’s warm arms around him, or his fingers in his hair every time he was alone, though he’d never admit it out loud.  


Tonight, Will’s hand was enticingly warm on his cheek and it sent electric tingles shooting through Nico’s body.  


“Are you ok?” Will asked gently, his brow furrowing into a look of concern.  


“Yes,” Nico tried to lie. “No, I don’t know,” he said. It was so hard not to tell Will the truth when he was looking at him so tenderly, his blue eyes full of concern and understanding.  


“It’s just— more nightmares and stuff. You know, regular demigod troubles.” The fear and dread Nico’s dream had caused seemed to be welling up inside him, very close to spilling over the brim.  


Will scooted a little closer to him. “I understand,” he said. “You’ve been through so much. I can’t even imagine how awful it must be.”  


At that, Nico’s eyes started to sting. He hated crying in front of Will, but it was so hard to hold it in. Especially when Will’s voice was so full of compassion and sympathy. Nico just couldn’t help himself. When Will held his arms out, Nico scooted over the rest of the way and put his head against Will’s chest, breathing in his scent, and letting his emotions pour out. Will almost always smelled like a hospital: clean, in a surgical kind of way, like hand sanitizer mixed with the smell of latex gloves. It made sense, considering Will spent so much time in the infirmary. Tonight though, Nico noticed Will was also wearing some sort of cologne. It was a delicious musky scent that made Nico’s heartbeat pick up. He didn’t remember Will ever wearing cologne before, even on the nights that he came to Nico’s cabin. Nico cried softly into Will’s chest, letting the distress from the dream pour over him and the tears flow over his cheeks.  


“You have no idea,” he said. What was he doing? He was supposed to be steeling his nerve, working up to kissing Will for the first (second?) time, not crying all over his shirt. But Will was just so comforting, so solid and warm, Nico couldn’t help it.  


“It’s ok,” Will said gently. “I’ve got you, you’re safe.”  


“I know,” Nico said, his voice breaking a little.  


Will held him for a while. His cheek rested against the top of Nico’s head, with one arm wrapped around him and his free hand gently caressing a lock of Nico’s dark hair. Already, Nico could feel the dread and horror from his nightmare ebbing away. Will’s body radiated warmth and Nico welcomed it gladly. He could hear Will humming something softly. His voice was rich and beautiful. The pitch was not too deep, but not too high either. Nico could have stayed like that probably forever. Listening to Will’s humming, feeling his body pressed closely against his own. The feel Will’s fingers in his hair made Nico’s whole body tingle. Once he was done crying, Nico felt his cheeks redden as he took in the proximity of Will’s body and thought about lifting his face to brush his lips against Will’s. He refrained, as usual, because he was still a little afraid to actually do it. He worried Will wouldn’t like it, or that he’d mess it up somehow. Nico wasn’t very experienced with kissing, or really anything vaguely romantic or sexual. He was grateful that Will couldn’t see the blush covering his face.  


Will must have noticed that Nico was done crying. He put his hand under Nico’s chin and gently tilted it upwards to look into his eyes. He brushed away a stray tear under Nico’s eye lightly with his thumb.  


“Are you feeling better?” he asked.  


“Yes,” Nico replied simply. “But please don’t leave yet.” He hoped he didn’t sound too desperate.  


Will laughed lightly. “I won’t, Nico. Not at least until I’m sure you’re actually better.”  


“Oh,” Nico said in a small voice. “So soon?”  


Will laughed again. The rich sound made Nico feel almost giddy.  


“I could always stay tonight, if you want,” he suggested lightly.  


“Oh… umm…,” Nico wasn’t sure what to say. He desperately did want Will to stay, but he didn’t want him to think he was too needy.  


“Or not, you know, that’s ok too,” Will said quickly. Nico thought he saw a flicker of disappointment flash in Will’s eyes for just a moment, but he couldn’t be sure because a second later, Will had composed his face into a polite, but guarded expression. Now was Nico’s chance.  


“No, please. I’d—I’d like it if you stayed,” he said. He hoped his cheeks weren’t burning too badly.  


“Ok,” Will said. “If that’s what you want.” His boyish grin lit his features and Nico felt a sort of nervous excitement flood through him. They sat together for a while. Nico rested his head on Will’s shoulder as the older boy filled him in on the latest news and stories from the infirmary. Nico found the information mildly interesting, but mostly he just liked the sound of Will’s voice and the feel of his body pressed closely to his own. Finally, after the subject was all but exhausted and Will had fallen silent for a while, Nico started to feel nervous again. He was struck by a fierce desire to kiss Will, right here and now, but he couldn’t quite make himself do it. What if he did something wrong and Will decided not to stay? Would he still come back another night if Nico had a nightmare again? Would it be too awkward between them after that?  


Almost as if he read Nico’s mind, Will interrupted his musings by turning his body slightly towards Nico and carefully taking the boy’s face in both of his hands.  


“Nico,” he said. “Can I kiss you?” he asked hesitantly, his voice barely more than a whisper.  


“Yes,” Nico breathed, forgetting his insecurity, his heart racing wildly. The corners of Will’s mouth turned up just slightly.  


Slowly and carefully, without moving his hands from Nico’s face, Will touched his lips to Nico’s. It felt so good Nico thought he might explode. Will’s lips were warm and full, and Nico couldn’t get enough of them. He wrapped his arms around Will’s waist, relishing in the warmth radiating from him. His fingers fumbled at the hem of Will’s orange camp T-shirt, and he slipped his hand just under it, touching Will’s back. He felt Will shiver, and he tilted his head slightly, kissing Will with a little more urgency and letting instinct take over. Nico had never felt anything so wonderful and alluring in all his life. He felt Will’s tongue moving against his own and hundreds of skeletal butterflies erupted in his stomach. One of Will’s hands was in his hair, the other still gently holding his cheek. Nico could feel a warm glow spreading throughout his body, beginning somewhere in the region of his stomach. Will pulled back slightly, keeping his hands on either side of Nico’s face, his forehead resting against Nico’s.  


Without opening his eyes Will said, “How’s that for a real kiss?” His voice had a huskiness to it now that was so enticing Nico could barely stand it.  


“Much better than the first time,” Nico replied.  


Will tilted his head back and laughed, dropping his hands from Nico’s face. His blue eyes shone with amusement.  


“You mean in the woods that night of capture the flag?” Will asked. Without waiting for answer he said, “Yes, I suppose it was better than that. Much better.” He gazed off for a few seconds, probably remembering the kiss. Then, he looked down at his wristwatch and glanced sideways at Nico.  


“It’s getting pretty late,” he said. “We should probably try to get some sleep, eh?”  


“I guess,” Nico said reluctantly. He wasn’t sure he was done kissing Will yet, but he did notice he was starting to feel a bit drowsy again. He took off his aviator jacket and crawled over to one side of the bed, trying to leave some space for Will. Will got up and padded over to the door, slipping off his shoes. Then he came and laid down next to Nico. Immediately, Will wrapped his arms around him and buried his nose in Nico’s untidy dark hair. Nico could feel his face reddening. He hadn’t exactly expected Will to just snuggle up to him like that. He loved the way it felt have Will’s arms around him, but the intimacy of the position still made him feel a little nervous. This was most definitely against the rules. Nico was sure of that. Yet he couldn’t help loving it all the same. Will always made him feel so safe. Was that really so wrong?  


“You smell good,” Will murmured close to his ear. His breath tickled on the back of Nico’s neck.  


“Umm, thanks,” Nico said, his face burning even more. He wasn’t used to compliments like that. Most times people— or animals— said he smelled like death. It was nice to know Will didn’t think that. Or maybe just that he didn’t notice it.  


Despite his nervousness, Nico felt his eyelids getting heavy. Had he been this tired the whole time? The warmth and safety emanating from Will was starting to overpower him. He had just closed his eyes when he heard Will whisper softly into his hair.  


“You’re safe now, sleep tight.” And for once, Nico didn’t feel disappointed to hear it.  


****************  


Two days after Will had stayed the night with him, Nico sat in the rec room of the big house, trying to pay attention to what the other head counselors were saying. It was a routine meeting; everyone shared the various states and requests from their charges and discussed any concerns they had. Since Nico was now officially the head counselor of the Hades cabin, attending the meetings was not-so-optional. He generally found them pretty boring, and tended to either just listen or daydream the whole time instead of talking. Of course, he was obligated to share his piece when the time came, but he almost always kept it short and sweet. Being the only member of his cabin and only in charge of funeral rites and such didn’t really leave him with a long list of requests or complaints. The only good thing Nico looked forward to in the meetings was the fact that Will happened to be the head counselor for the Apollo cabin. Since their night together, Nico had been having trouble thinking about anything but Will. He recalled the way Will had kissed him and he shivered slightly, his heart picking up speed. Then he heard someone say his name.  


“— you, Nico?” Chiron was saying.  


“Uh, what?” Nico said, startled. Across from him, Will smirked, his blue eyes alight with playfulness. Nico felt a blush creeping over his face. He tried to look anywhere but at Will.  


“He asked if you had anything to report,” snapped Clarisse, from the Ares cabin. “It’d be nice if you could pay attention long enough to know when it’s your turn” she added, annoyance filling her voice.  


“Uh, sorry, I—“  


Will cut him off. “I’m sure Nico has a lot on his mind at the moment, Clarisse,” he said lightly. Nico caught the sly smile that flickered on his handsome face, but he wasn’t sure anyone else did. At least, he hoped no one else did.  


“Whatever,” Clarisse said, rolling her eyes. “Do you have anything to share or not?”  


“Umm, nope. No requests or complaints,” he said. Gods he wished this meeting was over already. He could feel Will’s eyes on him and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could take it.  


“Very well,” Chiron said. “Then if no one has anything else…” he trailed off looking around at the counselors.  


No one said anything. Thank the Gods, Nico thought. He had to get out of this rec room fast.  


“All right, meeting adjourned,” Chiron finished. Everyone got up to leave. Nico noticed Will was dawdling a little. He was making a quite a fuss out of putting away his pen and paper that he always brought to the meetings into his bag. Automatically, Nico hesitated too. He wanted to just get up and leave, afraid of being alone with Will in such a… public place, but something stopped him. Secretly, Nico had been trying to think of ways to get Will on his own nearly nonstop for the last two days, but he desperately tried to push that to the back of his mind. He was still mortally terrified of what would happen if the rest of the camp found out about him and Will. He felt kind of stupid for being so scared; He and Will were not even technically dating, and it wasn’t like there was a rule against campers dating each other anyway, but the feelings he harbored for Will were something he guarded closely and personally. He didn’t think he could handle anyone else knowing about them yet.  


As usual, Will interrupted his internal monologue. “Nico,” he said. Everyone else had cleared out of the rec room. Will’s writing materials were now packed safely into the bag hanging off his muscular shoulder. His blue eyes looked at Nico with an endearing softness, but also a bit of expectancy too. It did nothing to quell the skeletal butterflies in Nico’s stomach.  


“Yeah?” he said, turning toward him.  


Will walked over and stood in front of Nico. He hesitated slightly before asking, “Would it, um, would it be all right if I came by tonight?”  


A thrill ran through Nico. Ok, keep it together. Don’t sound too desperate, he thought.  


“Yes,” Nico said. Then, “I’d like that.” He silently marveled at the confidence in his voice. He wasn’t sure how he had managed it, what with his heart in his throat and all, but he was grateful for it nonetheless.  


Will smiled at him and then leaned down a little so that his face was only a few inches from Nico’s.  


“It’s been very difficult to keep you off my mind lately,” Will admitted, his voice soft.  


To his own surprise, Nico laughed lightly. Probably from the giddiness of having Will so close to him again. “I know the feeling,” he said.  


At that, Will’s face broke into the boyish grin that Nico adored, and he carefully leaned down even further to touch his lips to Nico’s. Nico’s heart fluttered around crazily in his chest and electric tingles shot through him. He wrapped his arms around Will’s waist and the older boy put his hand on Nico’s cheek. Gods his hand was warm. For a moment, they kissed and the rest of the world dropped away. The only thing Nico could think about or focus on was the boy pressed against him, their lips moving together in an almost rhythmic, and utterly intoxicating sort of way.  


When Will pulled back, Nico had to remind himself how to breathe. He could easily spend all day kissing Will. Well, if he didn’t hyperventilate first, anyway. Unfortunately, that would also certainly alert the rest of the camp to their romance, too.  


“I’ve got to get back to the infirmary,” Will said finally. “I’ll see you tonight?” He said it like a question.  


“Yes,” Nico agreed, still a little breathless.  


“Good,” Will nodded once, gave Nico a small smile, then gently moved past him and pushed open the door. Nico watched him go, anticipation welling up inside him. That had went better than he thought it would. Quickly, he walked over to the door too, and stepped out into the sunlight, making his way toward his cabin to get ready for tonight.  
Just after eleven o’clock that night Nico sat on the edge of his bed. He had showered, brushed his teeth, and washed his face, hoping to make himself as presentable as possible. He even tried to comb his hair out, though he wasn’t really sure it looked any better than it did normally. He was starting to feel a little antsy; Will hadn’t given him a time earlier at the meeting for when he was coming by, and now, Nico was worried it would be late in the night. Somehow, Nico felt that it would be some time around now, though he wasn’t quite sure how he knew. He also didn’t know exactly what to do with himself at the moment, and his nervous anticipation made it hard for him to sit still. Finally, he got up and started pacing around the room. A part of him knew he was probably just being silly, but another part of him began to worry even more. What if Will had just been playing around, a voice whispered in his mind. What if he doesn’t actually want to come over tonight? Nico pondered that for a moment. Then he shook his head. Shut up, he told the voice. Will said he was coming.  


As if on cue, Nico suddenly heard a soft knock at the door. He stopped his pacing and walked carefully over to it.  


“Who is it?” Nico called.  


“It’s me you idiot. Who else would it be?” Will answered. He sounded amused.  


Elation and relief flooded through Nico’s heart. He opened the door and found Will standing there in the doorway smirking slightly, a bundle of red roses tucked under his arm and a small glass vase in his hand. He had a playful sort of excitement dancing in his eyes. Immediately, Nico’s eyes locked on the roses.  


“Hey babe,” Will said holding the flowers out toward him. “These are for you.”  


“And I figured you probably didn’t have anything to put them in, so I brought you this too,” he added, brandishing the vase.  


Nico was too stunned to speak. He barely even registered that Will had called him ‘babe’. He took the flowers and the vase mutely from Will and then turned to walk over and put them on the small desk by his bed. Will followed him into the room, closing the door carefully behind him.  


Nico turned to Will. “You brought me flowers,” he said. It sounded like an accusation.  


“Well, yes,” Will said. He smiled a little sheepishly, but his eyes still held their playfulness. “I sort of accidentally ran into Katie and Piper earlier, and they grilled me into spilling that I was going to see someone special tonight,” he admitted. Nico knew Katie Gardner was the head counselor of the Demeter cabin. She was always present at the counselor meetings, anyway. He didn’t really know her that well, but she seemed nice enough. He did, however, certainly know Piper pretty well from his time on the Argo II. She was head of the Aphrodite cabin. She was actually a really nice girl, but of course she would want to know all about it if Will was going to see someone special, especially if it was happening at nighttime. Katie probably even made the roses appear out of thin air. Demeter kids could do that kind of thing with plants. He also noticed the flowers were giving off the same sort of delicious musky scent that he had smelled on Will two nights ago. That was definitely not something normal flowers did. Piper, he thought, gritting his teeth.  


“But don’t worry, I didn’t tell them who it was,” Will said quickly, most likely because of the look on Nico’s face. “Anyway, they insisted that I bring those with me,” he said pointing at the flowers. He shrugged his shoulders in an apologetic kind of way, but the playfulness in his eyes made Nico suspect that the two girls probably hadn’t had to push that hard.  


Nico looked down. Truthfully, he was thrilled that Will had brought him flowers. It was exactly the kind of sweet and thoughtful thing that made Nico like Will so much. Of course, he could never admit that, especially now that he knew Piper and Katie had been in on it. He hoped they hadn’t noticed the way Will had smiled slyly at him at the meeting earlier. If they had, it would make sense why Will hadn’t told them who he was seeing. He wouldn’t have needed to say anything. He tried to put that out of his mind.  


“Um thanks,” Nico grumbled. He didn’t want Will to think he didn’t like the gesture though, so he said a little softer, “They’re—they’re really nice. You really shouldn’t have, though.”  


“And why not?” Will asked. He didn’t look hurt, just curious.  


“Because, well…” Nico’s voice trailed off. He wasn’t sure how to say it.  


“Because I don’t have anything to give you,” he finished, his voice barely more than a whisper. He thought maybe Will hadn’t heard him because he didn’t seem to react at first. Then, he crossed the room and wrapped Nico into a tight hug. Nico breathed in the heady scent that matched the one emanating from the roses. On Will though, there seemed to be another layer to it. There was the usual slight hospital smell and the exquisite musky cologne yes, but there was also something else mixed with the two scents. Something more subtle. Nico supposed that it was probably what Will smelled like when he had no other scents to dilute it. Without even thinking about it, Nico already knew he loved it.  


“Nico,” Will said after a moment.  


“Mmm,” Nico murmured against his chest.  


“You don’t have to get me anything. The best present I could ever think to have is just your company.”  


How does he do that? Nico wondered. Just one little sentence and Nico’s heart was fluttering around inside him like a butterfly. He looked up at Will.  


“Will you stay again tonight?” he asked quietly.  


Will’s grin was so beautiful it almost hurt Nico to look at it. “Of course,” he said. “If that’s what you want.”  


“It is,” Nico said simply. He stretched up on his tiptoes to kiss Will. He was so much taller than Nico, he wasn’t sure if he could have done it without Will leaning down to kiss him back. Passionate fire sparked inside Nico from the moment their lips touched. Nico wasn’t sure he would ever really get used to how amazing it felt to kiss Will.  


Nico felt Will’s muscled chest pressing against him as they kissed, and he had a sudden desire to touch him more directly. He carefully slipped both of his hands under the boy’s shirt, feeling the muscles of his back under his fingertips. They kissed passionately for a few minutes before Will pulled back slightly and kissed Nico just to the side of his mouth. He brushed his lips slowly along the line of Nico’s jaw, moving toward his neck, and Nico struggled not to let out a moan as he closed his eyes. He shivered as he felt Will’s warm lips against the hollow of his neck, reveling in the feeling. He moved his hands down to Will’s waist, keeping them on his soft skin. As Will started to move back to kissing Nico’s lips, Nico had a sudden idea. Quickly, before he could lose his nerve, he gently pulled the boy’s shirt about halfway up. Will smiled and leaned back, only enough to allow him room to tug on the back of his shirt with one hand, effectively pulling it off in one smooth motion. Nico stared at Will’s bare chest. The son of Apollo was gorgeously tan, and his time spent in archery lessons wasn’t for naught; He had beautifully sculpted pectorals, and his arm and shoulder muscles bulged in a very appealing way.  


“You’re so beautiful,” Nico breathed.  


“Thanks,” Will laughed softly, his voice husky. “But you should see yourself.”  


“Oh, shut up, Solace” Nico said and he planted his lips firmly back onto Will’s.  


As they kissed, Nico began to feel a little more confident. This time, he ran his hands along the smooth muscled plains of Will’s chest, exploring his body. The electric tingling that filled him intensified. Will’s lips were the most delicious thing Nico had ever known. They kissed earnestly for another few minutes until Will backed up a few steps and sat down on the bed, taking Nico’s hands and pulling him onto his lap. He helped Nico shed his aviator jacket and pulled his shirt up and over his head. Nico couldn’t help feeling a little exposed; his bare pale chest almost gleamed the moonlight shining in from the window.  


“Talk about beautiful” Will said appreciatively, his blue eyes traveling slowly up and down Nico’s body. It would normally have made him nervous, but at the moment, the excitement within Nico was making it difficult for him to focus on anything but kissing Will.  


Will’s compliment made the skeletal butterflies dance in Nico’s stomach and he couldn’t help smiling a little, despite himself, before he touched his lips back to Will’s. They kissed again for another few, good long moments before pausing to breathe for a minute. Nico gently pushed on Will’s shoulders so that he laid back onto his back, and they shifted so that the two were lying on their sides facing each other in Nico’s bed. Will propped himself up on one elbow, his fingers tracing little circles lightly on Nico’s forearm. The feel of his fingers on his skin was absolutely intoxicating.  


Will moved his hand to trace the long, jagged white scars on Nico’s upper arm, his brow furrowing a little and the corners of his mouth pulling down slightly into a small frown. Gods, Nico thought. Even his frown is adorable.  


“I am sorry I couldn’t prevent the scarring,” Will said. He looked genuinely upset with himself about it.  


“Don’t worry about it,” Nico said, waving him off. The old wounds didn’t really bother him anymore, and he barely noticed the scars. His skin was so pale they really only showed up in direct light anyway.  


“Still, I wish I could have been there when it happened so I could have helped you more. No offense to Reyna of course, but if I could have stitched you up right after those wolves attacked, you may not have gotten any scars at all,” Will said. It was he, after all, who had pulled out Reyna’s hurried stiches from the wounds and patched him up as best he could after the war with Gaea. Will had ordered Nico to stay in the infirmary for three days, and he had oversaw all of Nico’s medical care. That was right about the time that Nico had started crushing on Will. He had been so attentive and sweet as he cared for Nico, it had been nearly impossible for him not to start liking him. Well, that and the fact that every time Will touched him it sent a jolt of electric tingles shooting through him. Of course, Nico had never admitted any of that to anyone but himself.  


Just then, Will leaned over slowly and touched his lips to one of the long, jagged white lines. The warmth and affection with which he kissed him made Nico shiver pleasurably.  


“I’m sorry,” he said as he kissed one. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” He kissed another scar each time he said it.  


“Will,” Nico said rolling his eyes. “Really, it’s ok. You did your best. And honestly, if it weren’t for you, I probably wouldn’t be alive.” Secretly, Nico loved the feel of Will’s lips on his skin, but he wasn’t about to let him know that. Especially since he was trying to assume responsibility for something that really wasn’t his fault.  


“Well now that is true,” Will said smiling now. “I shudder to think what would have happened if I hadn’t made you stay in the infirmary for those three days. Good thing I’m such a great doctor.” The playfulness was back in his eyes.  


“Oh shut up, Solace,” Nico said, but he laughed. He felt as light as a helium balloon. He hadn’t realized how long it had been since he’d actually felt happy. He’d been through so much terror and sadness in his life, he had been starting to think he might never actually feel happiness again. Here, now, laying with Will in his bed, he didn’t see how he could feel any happier.  


“Nico?” Will suddenly asked a little shyly.  


“What?” Nico asked, looking at him suspiciously. The tone of Will’s voice made him think he wasn’t going to like whatever the boy was going to say next.  


“I was just wondering…” he stopped as if gathering his nerve. “I was just wondering if maybe I could call you my boyfriend now,” he said.  


Nico didn’t say anything, contemplating the idea. He certainly liked Will enough, and secretly, the thought of Will calling him 'boyfriend' sent a thrill of excitement running through him. Then he imagined how the other campers would react. Annabeth, Piper and most of the other girls would likely squeal and fuss over the both of them, going on about how they knew it all along. Nico shuddered internally just thinking about it. Percy would likely make some comment about Will being his type and not him. Nico had to laugh a little to himself just picturing it. He wasn’t sure Percy had quite recovered yet from Nico’s revelation of his old crush on him. He still gave Nico funny looks sometimes. He had accepted the fact that Nico wasn’t into girls just fine, but the fact that Nico had said he wasn’t his type had apparently stuck with him. Nico generally found it amusing, though sometimes he wished Percy would just get over it. He had Annabeth after all. Jason would likely take the news of Nico and Will pretty well. He was a very understanding guy, and he usually didn’t pry. Nico liked that about him. His half-sister, Hazel and her boyfriend, Frank at camp Jupiter would also probably take it well. Hazel had always been very supportive of Nico, and though he didn’t really know Frank that well, he had always been nice. As for the rest of the campers, Nico wasn’t sure. He didn’t know if very many of them even knew enough about him to care. He couldn’t decide if that made it better or worse. As a general rule, Nico tended to keep his personal life to himself. He wasn’t sure he was ready for everyone to know about him and Will just yet. He still didn’t know if he completely understood his feelings for Will himself.  


Thankfully, Will saved him the embarrassment yet again.  


“We don’t have to tell anyone,” he said fairly, as if reading Nico’s mind, like usual. “It could just be between us.” He played with Nico’s fingers as he talked, making it very difficult for the younger boy to concentrate.  


“I don’t know, Solace,” he sighed. “Can you give me some time to think about it?” he asked.  


“Sure, babe. Take all the time you need.” His blue eyes were full of an emotion Nico couldn’t quite put his finger on. It was like happiness, only… different. He was trying to figure it out when suddenly, it hit him. He had seen that look before. He had seen in it in Percy’s eyes when he looked at Annabeth. He had seen it in Jason’s eyes when he was around Piper. He had even seen Hazel and Frank look at each other like that. It was a look of complete adoration. Did Will… love him? The thought was so absurd Nico pushed it out of his mind. He just couldn’t process something like that right now.  


“It’s getting late,” Nico said, trying to change the subject. “We should sleep.”  


“Whatever you say,” Will said. Nico turned over and Will wrapped his arms around him like he had the other night. Nico laid awake for a while, even after he heard Will’s breathing deepen and felt his body relax. How could Will be in love with him? Before he could come up with a good answer for that, he felt himself falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.  


The next morning, Nico awoke to sunlight streaming in through the window and warm arms wrapped around his shirtless torso. He was a little disoriented at first and it took a second for him to remember where he was and what was going on. He hadn’t slept as well as he did last night since before he even knew he was a demigod. Wait, those were Will’s arms around him, Nico suddenly realized with a jolt. He had stayed with him again last night. What time was it? If Will didn’t leave early enough the whole camp would be awake and it would be really difficult to get Will out of his cabin without anyone noticing. He carefully extricated himself from Will’s arms, leaning over to look at the clock on the bedside table. It was still early morning. Thank the gods he thought. Beside him Will stirred.  


“Mmm morning,” he murmured, opening his eyes to look at Nico. Gods he was adorable when he woke up. His curly hair was matted down on one side and he still looked sleepy.  


“Morning,” Nico said, getting up and pulling on a shirt. “You’ve got to get up and get out of here before someone sees you.”  


“Well, dang you want rid of me that fast, eh?” Will said playfully.  


“Will… that’s not fair,” Nico complained.  


“I know, I know,” he said. He yawned widely and stretched out his arms. Will had slept without a shirt too, and Nico was hard pressed not to stare at him. His tanned skin was so smooth over his beautiful abs and chest. It was arousing just looking at him. Nico was almost disappointed when he got up and slipped on his shirt. Then he remembered that it was morning and both of them would be in trouble if anyone saw Will leave from his cabin, so he shook himself out it. After what seemed like a long time, Will had finally gotten his shirt and shoes on and was about to walk out the door. At the last second he turned to Nico.  


“Can I at least get a kiss goodbye?” he asked. With his boyish grin lighting up his features, it was nearly impossible for Nico to resist.  


Nico sighed and rolled his eyes, but he walked over to Will just the same. Will leaned down and kissed him. Nico wished that there was some way Will could stay. He didn’t really want him to leave yet, but he knew it would be hell for both of them if he didn’t.  


He pulled back from Will and said quickly, “Ok, now go before you get us both in trouble.”  


Will smiled his adorable grin again and opened the door.  


“Bye, boyfriend,” he said with a wink. Then he shut the door and walked away toward his cabin.  


Nico stood still for a moment gazing at the roses Will had brought last night and thinking about the feel of his lips on Nico’s. Boyfriend he thought dazedly. Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad.  


****************  


Exactly two weeks after the first time Will had stayed the night at his cabin, Nico found himself anticipating another night with him. Will had been staying with him nearly every other night now, since the time he had asked Nico to be his boyfriend. Nico had finally officially agreed to let Will call him that, but still only privately. He just couldn’t quite bring himself to tell everyone else about their relationship yet. Will seemed ok with it though, so he didn’t worry about it too much.  


Now, Nico was standing on the sidelines in the sword fighting arena, watching other campers practice sparring. He pretended to be paying attention to the new moves they were supposed to be learning, but in his mind, he was reliving his most recent time with Will.  


He had gotten Nico up very early in the morning and dragged him (partially against his will) to a fairly secluded spot on the far end of the strawberry fields to watch the sunrise. Nico hadn’t thought it would be all that great; he wasn’t much of a morning person after all, but sitting with Will surrounded by the sweet smelling berries, watching the changing colors of the sky reflected in his stunning eyes, and feeling the warmth of Will’s hand in his had quickly become one of his favorite memories. Will had even packed a picnic basket with some of Nico’s favorite breakfast items. He brought orange juice with little plastic cups, fresh bread with Nico’s choice of jam or cream cheese (Nico preferred raspberry jam with plain cream cheese), and an assortment of different fruits. Really, Nico liked not-so-healthy foods best, but Will always insisted that he eat a balanced diet to keep up his health, and the fact that Will had thought to bring him things he liked at all was so sweet, Nico just couldn’t bring himself to be very upset about it. Not that he had actually let Will know that, of course.  


For a while they sat and ate, watching the sun come up and enjoying each other’s company. After a little bit, Will noticed Nico had managed to smudge some of his raspberry and cream cheese topping on the side of his mouth. Before Nico had realized what had happened, Will was staring at him with a mischievous look in his eye.  


“What?” Nico had asked, his cheeks turning red and his eyes narrowing in suspicion.  


Instead of answering, Will just leaned over and licked the jam sensually off of Nico’s lip.  


Nico stared at him for a minute, the blush deepening on his pale cheeks. Then he tackled Will and pinned him to the ground. For his fairly small stature, Nico was stronger than he looked. Or perhaps Will just wasn’t fighting back. Either way, Nico stayed on top of him and pressed his lips fiercely against Will’s, furious and aroused all at the same time. Nico tasted the raspberry jam on Will’s tongue, and he kissed him harder. He ran his hand under Will’s shirt, feeling his muscular body beneath him. Desire welled up inside Nico in a way he had never quite felt before. Will tangled his fingers roughly into Nico’s hair, his other arm wrapping around him about midway down his back, pulling him closer. They kissed intensely for what seemed like a long time. Eventually, Nico rolled off of Will and onto his back, panting a bit. What just happened? he thought, a little bewildered. His heart hammered against his ribs, and he was still filled with a fervor he couldn’t quite explain. He had never kissed Will like that before. It was so… hot.  


Next to him, Will turned on his side and propped himself up on his elbow, his blue eyes trained on Nico.  


“Well,” he said. “That was… interesting.”  


“Yeah,” Nico said, still staring at the sky. He still hadn’t quite figured out what he was feeling. “Look, we should, um probably get back,” Nico mumbled. “If we’re gone too long, it’ll look suspicious.”  


“Ok, boyfriend,” Will said. He looked a little wistful, but he started packing away the leftover food and supplies anyway. Nico helped him, but he avoided his eyes. He felt like whatever had just happened between them had taken their relationship up a notch on the seriousness scale. He wasn’t sure how he felt about it.  


Back in the present, Nico watched Percy trying to demonstrate a complicated sort of disarming maneuver, and he grudgingly pulled himself out of his thoughts.  


“Ok, try it in pairs now,” Percy said.  


Nico paired up with one of the Hermes kids standing close by him. He was good, but not as good as Nico. The kid seemed a little afraid of Nico’s Stygian iron sword, but Nico didn’t let it bother him. That blade had served him well in the relatively short time he’d had it. They continued practicing for a few more hours before finally calling it quits. The sun was just starting to sink on the horizon. Nico was glad for the end of practice; he generally enjoyed sword fighting; the physical activity helped him channel some of his less positive emotions into something constructive. But today, he was ready to be alone with himself for a little while before Will came over to his cabin. He was just getting ready to leave the arena when Percy sidled over to him, his sea-green eyes shone with both concern and barely veiled curiosity.  


“Hey,” he said quietly so only Nico would hear, “Where were you today? You seemed like your head wasn’t really in the game.” His eyebrows knit together as he said it.  


“That’s none of your business, Jackson,” Nico snapped. His felt his face redden and he turned on his heel and marched straight out of the arena. He thought he caught Percy mumble 'Ok, sheesh' just as he stepped through the doorway.  


Nico went straight to the showers. The hot water felt amazing on his tired muscles, and it helped rejuvenate him a bit. He took his time, carefully washing every part of himself. After he was done, he turned off the water, dried off, and then combed out his wet hair and brushed his teeth. He stared at himself in the mirror for a few minutes. His reflection showed his regular dark hair and dark eyes, set into the pale but olive-toned skin of his face. But there was something else there too now. He hadn’t really noticed it before, but he seemed to have a sort of glow about him, coloring his cheeks just slightly and making his face seem a bit fuller. I must be hallucinating he thought, and he quickly turned away from the mirror and left the bathroom, heading back for his cabin.  


A little while later, Nico lounged on his bed thinking about what had happened earlier in the sword fighting arena. He sort of felt bad for losing his temper with Percy, but he wasn’t about to share what he had been thinking with the guy. He appreciated that Percy was probably just concerned that Nico was upset about something, but still. What happened between him and Will was his business; especially when it involved them pinning each other…  


A soft knock at the door shook Nico out of his thoughts. He got up and opened it, thrilled, but not surprised, to find Will standing there. He was just as blond and beautiful as he always was. There was a softness in his eyes that he seemed to reserve especially for Nico. Familiar butterflies fluttered around Nico’s stomach.  


“Hey babe,” Will said. “Mind if I come in?”  


Nico wasn’t sure why he bothered to ask anymore, it wasn’t like Nico could ever say no, but he just shrugged. “Sure,” he said.  


Will padded into the room and sat down on the bed. Nico carefully shut the door and went to sit next to him. Will took Nico’s hand in his own. He still wasn’t sure he would ever get used to the way Will’s touch shot tingles up his spine or how warm his hands were. He looked at Nico for a second, and then pulled out a small, silver rectangular something, with a glossy black screen covering one side of it and a long white cord protruding from the bottom that split into two about halfway up, ending in two little nubs. Nico wasn’t really very well-versed on technology; he had missed pretty much the entire rise of the digital age while he and Bianca had been stuck living at the Lotus Hotel. Electronics had most certainly come a long way since the ‘40’s.  


“This is an iPod,” Will said. Though Nico was sure he hadn’t meant to, Will had said it with the same tone one might use to explain what letters are to a kindergartner. Nico felt a slight twinge of annoyance. He hated it when his ignorance of this century was made painfully obvious. He gritted his teeth.  


“Ok. What does it do?” he asked.  


Will smiled at him. “Well, it does lots of things,” he said. “But right now, I want to do something. I’m going to use it to play music. I got one of the Hephaestus kids to get it to play Pandora without using a cell signal, and despite the fact that the camp doesn’t have Wi-Fi,” he said. Nico didn’t really understand half of what Will had said, but he nodded anyway, hoping his face wasn’t going red.  


“Here, put this in your ear,” Will said, handing him one of the nubs on the white cord. It had a little gray letter R on it. He figured that was supposed to stand for ‘right’, so he fit the nub into his right ear. Will put the other one in his left ear and fiddled with the device for a moment. Then, a song started playing in Nico’s ear, coming from the nub on the cord. It was a woman’s voice, rich and sweet, with piano and possibly some guitar in the background. His heart squeezed as he realized the woman was singing in Italian. Of course, Nico could understand every word. He knew Will couldn’t, but he didn’t really seem to mind. Nico had never heard the song before, but he already loved it. It had first made him think of his mother. Anytime he heard people speak (or sing) Italian it made him think of her. Somewhat fuzzy memories of her smiling down at him as a kid came to his mind. Then, as the song progressed, it started to remind Nico of the look that was always in Will’s eyes after they kissed. Will stood and gently pulled Nico to his feet. He placed Nico’s arms around his neck, and then wrapped his own around Nico’s waist. He started to move, slowly guiding Nico in a circle. With the soft glow of light coming from the lamp on his desk, the woman’s voice and piano playing in his ear, and Will’s warm arms around him, it was the most romantic thing Nico had ever experienced. He laid his head against Will’s chest, drinking in his scent and letting the music fill him.  


They danced, slowly, for another couple of songs, each fairly similar to the first that had played, before Will cupped his hand under Nico’s chin and tilted his head up. The look of adoration was in his eyes again, and he slowly leaned down and set his lips on Nico’s. The warm glow that seemed to fill Nico whenever Will kissed him burned even brighter, taking his breath away and making him feel as light as a cloud. His fingertips tingled and he pushed his hand gently into Will’s curly hair, the other resting on his chiseled chest. Will held him with one hand caressing his cheek, the other slipped inside the bottom of his shirt, warming the small of his back. At some point, the nub of the iPod cord slipped out of his ear as they kissed, but Nico didn’t care. He was too busy feeling Will’s lush lips moving on his, his tongue on the inside of his mouth. Gods Will was such a great kisser.  


They kissed passionately for a while. Then, as salacity bloomed within him, Nico began to kiss Will more earnestly. Will’s hands moved up and down Nico’s back, both of them under his shirt now, beginning to explore him with a sort of hunger that made the desire Nico had felt in the strawberry field erupt inside him. He pulled on Will’s shirt, helping him yank it up and over his head. Will pulled off Nico’s jacket and then his shirt. He ran his hands down Nico’s chest, his fingers trailing lightly over his nipples. Goosebumps arose on Nico’s skin, and he grabbed Will’s face and brought it back down to his own. He had never felt so aroused. The two seemed to move together as one as they backed up to the bed, Nico laying down on his back, Will on top of him. He crossed his legs over Will’s backside, running his hands down the sides of the boy’s body. Will put his lips on Nico's neck, kissing him softly from the tip of his earlobe down to the nape of his neck. He felt Will's moist tongue on his skin and he shivered with pleasure. When he felt Will gently graze his earlobe with his teeth, tingles shot up and down his spine. Will’s lips went back to the nape of Nico’s neck and the younger boy turned his head slightly to breathe in Will's ear, “Take me.”  


Will pulled back and looked at him, slight surprise and intrigue coloring his handsome face.  


“Nico...” he said “Are you sure? I don't want to do anything you're not comfortable with.”  


“I'm sure,” Nico replied, running his fingertips over Will's collar bone. He knew what he wanted now.  


Something flickered in Will's eyes. Was he... nervous? No, that couldn't be it. Sexy, confident, experienced Will Solace could not be nervous at the thought of sleeping with Nico di Angelo... Could he?  


“I mean if you don't want to that's totally ok too,” Nico quickly backtracked, dropping his hands, disappointment and rejection already burning through him.  


“Oh, Nico, no, I want to. Gods, do I want to,” Will breathed, touching his cheek. “You are so... So just, well hot, and amazing, and sweet, and I want you so bad I nearly can't stand it. It's just, I've never really done anything like that before and I just don't want...” his voice trailed off. He took a deep breath. “I just don't want to disappoint you.” His gorgeous eyes reflected his worry and sincerity.  


Nico was so relieved he almost laughed out loud. So Will was just as inexperienced as he was. Thank the gods, he thought. And it wasn't about Will not being attracted to him in that way, it was just that despite his seeming confidence, he was... well, a little nervous, much like Nico. Will always acted so confident with the romantic stuff, it had never occurred to him that he might not actually have any experience with it.  


“Then we'll just have to teach each other,” Nico said. The corners of Will's mouth turned up into his cute boyish grin, making his eyes crinkle slightly in the corners.  


“All right, boyfriend,” he said. Then he leaned back down and touched his lips to Nico's.  


They kissed passionately again. Will took Nico’s face in his hands, and the younger boy wrapped his arms around him, feeling his muscular shoulders under his hands.  


“Will,” Nico murmured quietly against his lips after a few moments.  


“Yes?” Will asked, a little breathless.  


“Just be easy on me, ok?”  


“Oh I will babe,” he said with a chuckle, “but the same to you.”  


Will looked down at him with tenderness and passion blazing red hot in his ice blue eyes. Nico found it so arousing it almost scared him. Will's hand trailed slowly across Nico's chest, down over his stomach, and over the region just above Nico's pant line. His warm fingers seemed to leave traces on Nico's skin wherever they went. He started kissing Nico’s neck again, but this time he slowly trailed his kisses downward. His warm lips touched Nico’s chest, and then he felt Will’s tongue run lightly over one of his nipples. Nico let out a soft moan. He could feel himself hardening just from that, and he was starting to ache for Will’s hands on him. Will kept slowly moving downward, kissing Nico’s stomach as he went. He got to his pant line and put his lips on Nico’s hip bone, his tongue leaving a slight wet spot when he moved. Will continued to kiss Nico’s body, just above his pants. It was driving Nico absolutely nuts. He whimpered a little, putting his hand in Will’s soft hair.  


Nico could feel Will's fingers undoing the button on his pants, and a blush crept over his face, making his cheeks burn. He hated that he was so self-conscious. He was with Will after all. He tried to relax and focus on what Will was doing instead of his self-consciousness. Will was gently pulling off Nico's pants, and then discarding them softly on the floor. He rested one hand on the lower part of Nico's belly, and trailed his lips across Nico's inner thigh. Just then, he felt Will's tongue on the tip of him, and he was suddenly worried he might spontaneously combust. Then Will slipped his mouth slowly over him, moving methodically up and down, up and down, up and down.  


Oh gods, Nico thought. He was pretty sure 'Oh gods' was all he could think at that moment. The wetness of Will's mouth on him was almost too much. He grabbed a pillow and shoved it onto his face, trying to keep from screaming with pleasure. He had never felt anything like this before. After a little while, Nico made the mistake of looking down. Seeing Will's curly blond head bobbing up and down between his legs made him feel like he was going to dissolve into a puddle. Will's blue eyes flicked up and caught his own.  


That was enough. "Ohh...!" Nico nearly screamed, biting his knuckle to keep quiet. He wasn't sure how much more he could take. He thought he felt Will smile a little. Despite his inexperience, Will seemed to know exactly what he was doing to Nico. And he was enjoying it immensely.  


Finally, Nico couldn't take anymore. He pulled Will up a little gruffly by the arms and latched his lips onto the boy’s, but he didn't stop there. He pushed on Will's shoulder so that he rolled onto his back and Nico scrambled on top of him. He let instinct and desire take over, and he ran his hand down Will's body as he kissed him, feeling his warm skin and sinuous muscles under his hand. He moved his lips to Will's neck, and slipped his hand under the waist band of his jeans.  


Damn, Nico thought appreciatively. Will moaned pleasurably under his touch, sending white hot tongues of lust lapping at Nico's insides. In the back of his mind Nico wondered idly why Will still had his pants on. He quickly undid the button on them and slid down the zipper. He pulled them off of him in one smooth motion, tossing them haphazardly behind him, not caring where they landed. Will’s entire body was a gorgeous shade of bronze, as if he spent hours just lying naked in the sun. Nico would have liked to have seen that. He moved his lips down Will’s body, loosely imitating what Will had been doing to him. When he got to the apex of Will’s body, he didn’t hesitate; he slipped his lips over Will, moving his tongue around similarly to the way Will had done.  


Will obviously appreciated it. His body shuddered a little and he moaned softly.  


“Nico…” he said, almost more to himself than anything. “Oh, gods…” Nico moved his head up and down, paying close attention to Will’s body language and adjusting his movements to whatever Will responded most positively to. He was a little surprised by how much he enjoyed it. As much as he loved it when Will had done it to him, he liked pleasuring Will almost just as much. He continued for what seemed like a long time, and then slowly came to a stop. He couldn’t take anymore. He desperately wanted Will’s body. His loins were throbbing with lust. He moved so that he was sitting directly on top of Will’s groin. Feeling him pressed against him like that was intoxicating enough to nearly make him dizzy. He pressed his lips to Will’s neck and then trailed up slowly so that he breathed in Will’s ear again.  


“Take me, now,” Nico said, and he ran his tongue over the top of Will’s ear.  


Will didn’t say anything, but he suddenly flipped Nico over so that the boy was lying on his stomach, Will behind him. Oh gods, that was hot, Nico thought. Will held on to Nico’s hip gently with one hand, his other lubricating himself with saliva. Very slowly and carefully, he entered Nico.  


Nico let out a gasp. It was a little uncomfortable at first, but Will was gentle and careful, and the lust boiling inside Nico made him relax into it. Will pushed his hips methodically against Nico’s backside and he leaned over slightly, one hand reaching around to touch Nico. The more Nico relaxed, the better it felt. He let his mind go and was completely taken over by primal instinct, moaning with each push of Will’s hips. Will moved his hand up and down Nico’s back. Alternately, he would grip Nico’s shoulder for a moment, then put his hand in his hair, then move it back down to his hip. Nico was starting to feel his pleasure building. Between having one of Will’s hands on him, the other trailing warmth across his body, and the steady, rhythmic pressure of Will’s thrusts, Nico felt himself hurdling ever closer to the edge. Finally, Nico began to climax, and he felt Will pulling out and moaning his name softly just as he did too, and then collapsing on top of him. They laid there in a heap for a minute, both boys out of breath and exhausted, but blissful with pleasure.  


Eventually, Will rolled off of Nico and grabbed his shirt from the floor. He wiped himself off with it and slipped his boxers back on. He then handed Nico his underwear and the shirt to do the same. Once Nico was done, Will laid back down next to him. They shifted over so that Nico was laying on Will's chest, his fingers tracing idly around on Will's smooth skin.  


"That was… amazing," Nico breathed after a few minutes.  


"Yes," Will agreed, "It was."  


Nico was feeling warm and sleepy now. The blazing hot passion that had filled him was receding slowly into a strong warm glow of pure happiness and bliss. His limbs felt rubbery in a pleasant sort of way. Will rested his cheek against the top of Nico's head, his nose half buried in Nico's hair.  


“Nico,” Will whispered softly after a few moments.  


“Yes?” Nico asked, still slightly breathless. Will touched his fingers under Nico’s chin and tilted his head up so that they were looking in each other’s eyes.  


“I, I think I might love you,” Will said quietly. Utter sincerity filled his voice, and reflected in his eyes. In truth, Nico had been expecting Will to say something like this ever since he had recognized the look in Will’s eye on the second night he had stayed with him. What he hadn’t prepared for was the thrill that ran through him as Will said it, and, more importantly, the fact that Nico now realized he felt the same way.  


“You love me,” Nico repeated, looking down, somewhat in a daze. No one had said something like that to him since he had lost his sister, Bianca, and even then, it hadn’t felt like this. He himself had certainly not said something like that to anyone since her death either. There had been so little love in his life after that, he had almost had trouble recognizing the emotion for a long time.  


“I mean, I’m sorry,” Will backtracked, clearly thinking Nico was upset at the admission. “I hope that’s not too forward. I know we haven’t really been together that long, I guess, but you are the most amazing person I have ever met, Nico, and I just—”  


Nico stopped his stammering by putting a finger to his lips.  


“I think I love you too, Will,” he said. Even as he said it, he couldn’t believe those words were coming out of his mouth. And yet, looking at Will’s gorgeous blue eyes and handsome features, he knew they were true. Will’s face broke into that adorable boyish grin of his.  


“You do?” he asked, his eyes bright. Nico could feel Will’s heart beating fast under his fingertips. He didn’t know why Will sounded so surprised. How could he not love Will? He was sweet, and loving, and by far the most romantic person Nico had ever met. Ever since he had stayed those three days in the infirmary, Nico had known deep down that he never stood a chance. He realized that now. He and Will were always meant to fall in love. It was as inevitable as the sun rising in the east every morning, and the moon rising at night to take its place.  


“Yes I do,” Nico answered. He was quietly amazed at the surety and confidence in his voice. Normally, such an emotional statement would have been really difficult for him to choke out. But this was Will, and of course, it was true, after all. Will Solace had captured his heart. There was no doubt in Nico’s mind about that.  


That seemed to be enough to satisfy Will. Slowly, Nico laid his head back down on Will's chest. Nico could feel himself gradually drifting toward sleep. His heart was still full of love and his head was wonderfully clear of his old nightmares.  


After a while, seemingly from far away, he heard Will whisper quietly, "You're safe now, sleep tight" as he kissed Nico's hair softly. The old sentiment made Nico smile slightly as he gave in to the comfortable stupor of sleep.  


****************  


Nico awoke slowly. A beam of sunlight was spilling in through the window, creating a warm strip across his face. He was lying on his side, facing Will's handsome, sleeping face. The sight of him made Nico's heart squeeze, in a good way, and fill with emotion. His mind was flooded with memories from the night before and the warm glow that was slowly becoming familiar to him spread across his body. Nico loved the way Will looked when he slept. He always seemed so peaceful. Nico wondered if he himself looked like that when he slept too. He carefully brushed a stray blond curl out of Will's face and gently touched his lips to Will's.  


"Mm hey babe," Will said sleepily, not opening his eyes.  


"Hey," Nico said softly.  


Will stretched out his arms and put them around Nico's body, pulling him in so his chin rested lightly on top of the younger boy's head.  


Will's warm chest still smelled faintly of his cologne and the infirmary. Nico was sure now that it was his favorite smell in the world. They laid there for a while. Nico thought about all that had happened between them in the past few weeks. They had kissed more times than he could count, Will had asked him to be his boyfriend, they'd had a bunch of really amazing dates, and of course, the events of last night. As he thought about it, Nico came to a decision. He leaned his head back slightly and moved his hand up, tracing Will's lips with his finger.  


"Will," he said softly.  


"Mmm?" Will murmured, his eyes still closed and the rest of him still partly asleep.  


"We should tell the rest of the camp," Nico said.  


Will's eyes suddenly snapped open. "What?" he asked.  


"We should tell them," Nico repeated. "About us, I mean. Percy, Annabeth, Piper and Jason, everybody."  


Will looked at him for a moment, as if trying to determine whether or not Nico was just messing with him. Nico knew that it meant a lot more to Will that everybody know they were together than it did to him, and he wanted to give him that. Will always gave him so much. So much happiness, and love, and of course, any kind of comfort or care he might need. Really, telling the rest of the camp about their relationship was the least Nico could do.  


"Are you serious?" Will asked. He didn't say it in a mean way; Nico heard only polite incredulity in his voice. A glimmer of hope shined in his eyes. "You would do that?"  


Nico took a deep breath. "Yes," he said. "Because I know how much it means to you." And before he could lose his nerve, he rushed on, "and, because I want the world to know that we're together. That you're mine and I am yours."  


"You're mine and I’m yours," Will repeated Nico's words, as if tasting how they felt on his tongue. Slowly, Will's boyish grin spread across his face. His smile was so bright Nico nearly had to avert his eyes. Then, Will put his lips on Nico's. He poured so much tenderness into the kiss, it made Nico woozy for a few seconds. Will pulled back and then got straight to his feet, pulling on his clothes from the floor at random. He tossed Nico his own clothes hurriedly.  


"Wait," Nico said, suddenly nervous. "I didn't mean like, right this second."  


"Too bad, boyfriend," Will said, his boyish grin shining in his handsome face. "Come on, everyone will just be getting up about now."  


Grumbling slightly, Nico pulled on his clothes and reluctantly tried to flatten out his hair as best he could. Then Will took his hand. Fortunately, his nervousness seemed to melt away at Will’s touch. The look of adoration made Will’s blue eyes unusually bright. Together, they left the Hades cabin and stepped into the sunlight of the camp. With Will’s hand in his, Nico felt like he could take on the world.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [A Shade in the Sun](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5850052) by [fob_lvr8](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fob_lvr8/pseuds/fob_lvr8)




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